I'm not good at this stuff. How do you make all of this cool work. All i can do is try to add light/shading using the dodge and burn tools, and smudge them toghether. How do you use the airbrush tool for all of this?
i dunno. plz help.

these simple task will help alot. Scan in some line art to start. Make A line art layer a background white to start. Create layers on top of your Line art with the layer set to multiply. that will make the line art pull through the color.

On the color layers set up basic color fill areas. flat colors. just a fill got it simple right. now you can make hightlight layers. and smudge to town and paint brush give a great sharp edge. air brush will help in burring area.

merge down when happy with certain area, As you said use the dodge/burn tools to light the image.

I'm new to this forum. My hobby is making 3D objects, scenes, but I'm getting more and more interested in 2D artwork. So I'm also a rookie. I would like to know what tools you use to detail objects (for instance scratches or bumps in metal, textures to annimals). How do you make your image look less smudgy, and with what tool do you make sharp edges that don't smudge all over the place???

could use different types of brushes, make your own by. making a new file and use different patterns in black. such a speckels stars leafs, patterns of all sorts. you can use a air brush to make a dissolve partical pattern.

example: make your blob/pattern and select a box area around it. look at the brush palette, see the brushes now there is an arrow in the corner a pull down menu apears.
define the brush, there done.

Kolt: It's nice to want to do cool stuff... but cool stuff doesn't come all by itself... it demands a great deal of understanding and knowledge of shape and lighting. If you are serious about persuing a possible carreer in this, then you should start learning all you can about form, light, shade, color, anatomy, etc. ... it's a long road ahead. However, if you just want to do "cool" stuff, play around with the photoshop filters and layer options... they offer TONS of "fun"... Good luck.

thx, i'll try. i still don't EXACTLY get how to use the paintbrush/airbrush, but hey, i've been doing this for how long? hehe, no, i'm not going to tell you. well, ok, i've been doing it for about 3 weeks and just discovered this type of technique a couple days ago.